The present invention relates to a carton blank and a shipping carton for the packaging of an irregularly shaped article. More particularly, the shipping carton is especially adapted for the packaging and protection of "L" shaped articles such as rocking chairs, lawn care equipment, appliances or furniture.
Prior to the present invention irregularly or "L" shaped objects, such as rocking chairs, were frequently packaged using two separate cartons which were joined together after the article was lowered into one of the cartons. Sometimes the chair or other object was lifted and lowered into a first assembled carton and the second carton fastened to the first carton. It required substantial amounts of time and labor to tape, stick and seal the carton pieces in place. The pieces required a number of press runs as well as a relatively large and complex inventory of the carton pieces. Extra labor was required to lift the article up, over and down into the carton. Further, such conventional cartons waste material by positioning carton material over the area least likely to incur damage, for instance, the lap or the bottom of the chair.